CAREER: Exciting player who earned four monograms during his career ... played primarily special teams his first two seasons before becoming a regular at safety during his final two years ... after completing collegiate career, signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots in 2005 ... can play near the line of scrimmage and blitz effectively or drop back into pass coverage ... played entire career under head coach Charlie Weis ... finished career with 89 tackles, eight passes broken up, five tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 45 games.

2009 (SENIOR): Played in all 12 games at safety, starting nine (did not start vs. Michigan State, USC and Washington State) ... ranked fifth on the team in tackles with a career high of 50 ... also notched career highs with 38 solo stops, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles ... also had two passes broken up, two passes defensed, one sack and one quarterback hurry ... in final game of career, turned in his best collegiate performance, psoting a career-high 10 tackles (two for loss) against Stanford, while also forcing a fumble and sacking Andrew Luck ... notched nine tackles, with a career-best eight solo stops, vs. Navy ... had five tackles against Purdue and Pittsburgh ... finished with four tackles against Boston College and Connecticut ... also had first forced fumble of career against the Eagles ... had three tackles vs. Washington and USC (one for loss) ... registered a pair of tackles against Nevada, Michigan and Michigan State ... had one stop against Washington State.

2008 (JUNIOR): Played in all 13 games for the Irish and started six times (San Diego State, Michigan, Purdue, Washington, Boston College and Hawai'i) ... totaled career highs with 28 tackles on the season along with two tackles for loss, one sack, six pass breakups and one fumble recovery ... valuable member of Irish special teams as he blocked two punts during the season ... made his first career start vs. San Diego State and recorded six tackles (four solo, two assists), a tackle for loss, two pass breakups and his first career blocked punt, which helped set up the first score of the season ... registered two tackles (solo, assist) against Michigan in his second career start ... also recovered a fumble vs. the Wolverines ... registered two tackles (solo; assist) in win over Purdue ... also broke up a pass against the Boilermakers while making third career start ... saw extensive action vs. Stanford and racked up three tackles (two solo, one assist) ... also recorded his first career sack against the Cardinal ... started for the fourth time in his career against Washington and tallied two tackles (solo, assist) vs. the Huskies ... played well against the run and the pass in his fifth career start vs. Boston College, registering three tackles (two solo, assist) and two pass break-ups ... rotated in during the Navy game, recording two solo tackles and helped limit the Midshipmen to only three completions ... saw action in the defensive rotation against USC and made two solo tackles ... totaled six tackles (all solo) in helping Notre Dame to its first bowl victory in 15 years, a 49-21 victory over Hawai'i in the Hawai'i Bowl ... also registered a blocked punt against the Warriors ... saw 149:17 of playing time and made 165 special-teams appearances (fourth on the team).

2007 (SOPHOMORE): Contributed to special teams and secondary in nine of 12 games (did not play vs. Michigan, Duke or Stanford) ... had four solo tackles and assisted on three others ... registered season-best two solo tackles at Purdue ... made 66 special-teams appearances.

2006 (FRESHMAN): Played in 11 of 13 games on special teams, covering kickoffs and punts for an Irish team that was ranked in the top 20 all season and peaked at #2 in the AP poll before finishing 10-3 and ranked 17th ... totaled four tackles, including three solos ... made 97 special teams appearances and tallied 56 seconds of playing time.

HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Graduated from Proviso East High School in Maywood, Ill. ... rated 83rd on list of top 100 prep players nationally by USA Today ... rated 91st on list of top 100 players nationally by Chicago Sun-Times ... rated 16th on list of top 20 Midwest players on Detroit Free-Press Best of the Midwest team ... a special-mention choice on Illinois all-state team selected by Champaign News-Gazette ... rated ninth overall among senior players in Illinois in '05 by Chicago Tribune ... second-team Illinois all-state pick at defensive back by Chicago Tribune ... accounted for 710 all-purpose yards and scored four TDs as senior wide receiver in 2005 at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Ill. ... made 41 tackles, two sacks, intercepted six passes and broke up 18 others as senior safety ... three-year starter who had 60 tackles and six interceptions (returned five for TDs) as junior in 2004 ... state qualifier in long jump ... born May 22, 1988 ... high school coach was Aaron Peppers ... son of Myrtle Brown ... enrolled in Mendoza College of Business and majoring in marketing.